Winding and rewinding mechanism for double-tracker-board musical instruments.



R. S. IRVINE.

WINDING AND REWINDING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE TRACKER BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV I5 I9I5- I. 1,294,666. Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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WIT YNESS;

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RICHARD S. IBVIN'E, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

WINDING AND REWINDING- MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE-TBACKER-BOARD MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb 18 1919.

Application filed November 15, 1915. Serial No. 61,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. IRVINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Winding and Rewinding Mechanism for Double- Tracker-Board Musical Instruments; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

*End to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements primarily in self-playing musical instruments of that type commonly known as the pneumatic type and in which two or more tracker boards are used for admitting the air for the operation of the pneumatic valves.

The use of self-playing musical instruments has become very common in connection with motion picture theaters or other similar places where it is desirable to have a certain piece of music played to accord with the action shown in a certain picture or performance. To do this, it has become necessary to have two or more tracker boards whereby one music sheet carrying a certain number of pieces of music may be operated to play music in accordance with given parts in the action shown in the pictures or other performances, and the other sheet to be used for otherdiiferent pieces of music at certain other predetermined times. This requirement has been fulfilled heretofore by the use of dual tracker board mechanisms arranged to carry two independent music sheets, each mechanism being operable by an independent motor w1th means for throwing one or the other tracker board mechanisms into independent action as desired. r

I have recently filed an application in the Patent Ofiice for operating two tracker board mechanisms with one motor combined with a means .for closing the openings in one tracker board while the other mechanism is in operation and vice'versa. This application was filed Nov. 10th, 1915, and is numbered Serial No. 60,673. The aim of the present invention is to provide a means in combinatlon with the invention shown in the above entltled action whereby one sheet of music may be rapidly rewound on its roller while the other sheet is being operated over its tracker board, and to further provide a means whereby one sheet may be moved forward to a given position on its tracker board ready to be brought into action for playing a given piece of music, which latter operation may be carried on while the other music sheet is still moving over its tracker board for playing certain music. In other words, I aim to have a means whereby all music sheets may be moved at will from one point to another on their respective tracker boards to play desired music at desired times. All this can be accomplished without any break in the continuity of the music being played by the instrument.

V A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

The figure in the drawings is a front elevation showing the complete mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the frame of the musical instrumentwhich may be of any desired form. The numeral 2 designates one tracker board, and the numeral 3 designates another tracker board, the tracker board 2 being provided with an opening and closing shutter 4 while the tracker board 3 has a similar shutter 5. These shutters 4L and 5 are of that type-set forth in the above entitled application for patent, hence no particular specific description of the same is here entered into. r i

The numeral 6 designates the shaft on which may be removably disposed the music holding roll 7 in the usual manner adjacent the tracker board 2. Similarly the numeral 8 designates the shaft upon which may be removably secured the roller 9 adjacent the tracker board 3.

Below the tracker board 2 is mounted the rollerlO for advancing the sheet music from the roller 7 across the face of the tracker board 2. The numeral 11 designates a similar roller for advancing the sheet music from the roller 9 across the face of the tracker board 3. On the roller 10 is the usual pinion 12 to be driven by the smaller pinion 13 mounted on the shaft 14. Secured on the shaft 14 is a sprocket wheel 15 connected by the chain 16' with a sprocket wheel 17 on the sleeve 18 turnab'le'on the drive shaft 19 and provided with the clutch face 20.

The roller 11' is provided with a usual. pinion 21 driven by the pinion 22 on the shaft 23; On such shaft 23 is a sprocket wheel- 24 connected by the chain 25 with the sprocket wheel 26 on the sleeve 27, which sleeve 27 is tu'rnable on the shaft 19 and provided with the clutch face 28. The numeral 29 designates a lever suitably fulcrumed at 30 and connected with each of the shutters 4 and 5 whereby when one shutter is moved to close its adjacent tracker board, the other shutter will move to open its adj acent tracker board. The numeral 31 designate-s a clutch sleeve slidably keyed to the shaft 19 and operable to be thrown by the movementof the lever 29 into engagement with either the clutch face 20 or 28 to drive either the sprocket wheel 17 or 24, with t'h'ecorresponding movement of the roller 10 or the roller 11. When the roller 11 is in motion, the tracker board 2 is closed and the tracker board 3 open'and when the roller 10 is in motion, the tracker board 3 is closed and the tracker board 2 is open and Vice versa.

'The shaft 19 is driven continuously in one direction by the action of the motor 32 which maybe of any desired or suitable type and here shown as being one of the common forms of air motors.

The above described structure is that used for operating one tracker board mechanism independently of the other and closing the openings in the inactive tracker board mechanism while the other is in operation for playing. All of this is shown sufliciently in the above application for patent. In connection with the above operation, I desire to rewind the music sheets upon their re spective rolls when the same are not in action, and also to again advance them from their respective rolls for bringing particular pieces of music adjacent the tracker board ready to be played at will. These latter functions I accomplish by means of the following structure and operation, viz: I extend the shaft 14 and the shaft 23 and upon the shaft 14 I provide a sprocket wheel 35 connected by the chain 36 with a sprocket wheel 37 on the sleeve 38 turnably mounted on the shaft 19 and provided with a clutch face 39.

On the shaft 23, I provide a sprocket Wheel 40 connected by a chain 41 with the sprocket wheel 42 on the sleeve 43 provided'with a clutch face 44, such sleeve 43 being turnab-le on the shaft 19.

The numeral 45 designates a clutch sleeve slidably keyed to the shaft-'19 and midway between the sleeves 38 and 43. This clutch sleeve 45 is provided with the clutch faces 46 and 47 arranged to be thrown into engagement with either of the clutch faces 39 or 44 respectively. To so bring such clutch sleeve 47 into engagement with the sleeves 38 and 43,'I arran ge a lever assuaably fulcrumed at 49 and operable by any desired form of lever mechanism (not shown) which may be positioned at the front of theimusical instrument or"elsewhere as may be desired.

' When the clutch sleeve 31 is out of engagement'with the clutch face 20, the roller 10 will be inactive fro'i'n that source of power, and as will be noted from the previous description, the opening in the tracker board 2 will at that time 'be closed. By then throwing the clutch face 46 intoen'gagenient with the clutch face 39, I can impart motion to the roller 10 through the medium of the sprocket wheel 37, chain 36, sprocket wheel 35 and shaft 14, whereby the music sheet can 'be advanced on the roller 10'to any desired point without any music being played. Thenthe clutch sleeve '45 may be returned to central position between the members 3l'and 33. Upon the sleeve 31 being then moved into engagement with the clutch face 20 (which action will simultaneously open the tracker board '2), the roller 10 will be set in motion throughthe medium of the sprocket wheel 17, chain 16, sprocket vheel 15, shaft 14 and pinions 13 and 12, which will 'a'dvance'themusic sheet over the open tracker board 2 for playing the desired music. I

Similarly when the'clutch sleeve 31 is out of engagement with the clutch face '28 and the roller 11 inactive from that source-of power, and the tracker board 3" closed, then the clutch face 47 may be thrown into engagement with the clutch face 44 and motion be thereby imparted to the roller 11 through the sprocket Wheel 40, chain 41, sprocket wheel 40 and shaft 23. By this means, the music sheet can bepositioned at any desired point on the face of the tracker board 3 to be thrown into playing action when the clutch sleeve 45 is again engaged with the clutch face 44.

The relation of the gears 17 and 26 with respect to the gears 15 and 24 is such as to permit the rollers 10 and 11 to be driven by such gears at the moderate speed required when the player mechanism is inoperation. The relation ofthe gears 34 and 42 with respect to the gears 35 and 40-, however, is such that when these gears are used to operate either of the rollers 10 or 11, they will be operated much more rapidly than by the other gears so that the positioning of the rollers at different points may be accomplished speedily, as will ofcourse, be necessary in practice.

To rewind the musice sheet upon the rollers 7 and 9 when these parts are not in motion due to the movement of either of the rollerslO or 11, I provide the following structure, viz: On the shaft 6 is fixed a sprocket wheel connected by the chain 51 with a sprocket wheel 52 mounted on a sleeve 53 turnable on the shaft 19 and provided with a clutch face 5 1. On the shaft 8, I fix a sprocket wheel 55 connected by a chain 56 with a sprocket Wheel 57 fixed on a sleeve 58 turnable on the shaft 19 and provided with a clutch face 59. Slidably keyed to the shaft 19, midway between the sleeves 53 and 58, I

provide a clutch sleeve 60 provided with clutch faces 61 and 62 adapted to be brought into engagement with either of the clutch faces 54 or 59 respectively, this engaging action being controlled by the lever 63 fulcrumed at 64 and operable by any suitable mechanism at any desired point upon the musical instrument. When the roller 10 is inactive and it is desired to rewind the music sheet upon the roller 7, the lever 63 is actuated to throw the clutch face 61 into engagement with the clutch face 54. The motion of the shaft 19 is then transmitted through the clutch sleeve 54:, sprocket wheel 52, chain 51, sprocket wheel 50, and shaft 6, and the roller 7. The action of this roller can be made as rapid as possible by fixing the relative size of the sprocket wheels 52 and 50 as may be proper.

Similarly when the roller 11 is inactive, the music sheet may be rewound upon the roller 9 by throwing the clutch face 62 into engagement with the clutch face 59, whereupon the motion of the shaft 19 will be transmitted through the clutch sleeve 58, sprocket wheel 57, chain 56, sprocket wheel 55, shaft 8 and the roller 9, the speed being controlled by the relative size of the sprocket wheels 55 and 57 as is proper.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the object of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination With a plurality of tracker board mechanisms each comprising a tracker board and an advancing roller and a rewinding roller for each tracker board and means for simultaneously closing one tracker board and opening another and operating the advancing roller adjacent the open tracker board, of means for operating either of the rollers adjacent the closed tracker board as described.

2. The combination with a plurality of tracker board mechanisms each comprising a tracker board and an advancing roller and a rewinding roller for each tracker board and means for simultaneously closing one tracker board and opening another and operating the advancing roller adjacent the open tracker board, of means for operating the rewinding roller adjacent the closed tracker board as described.

3. The combination With a plurality of tracker board mechanisms each comprising a tracker board and an advancing roller and a rewinding roller for each tracker board and means for simultaneously closing one tracker board and opening-another and operating the advancing roller adjacent the open tracker board, of means for operating the advancing roller adjacent the closed tracker board as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

RICHARD S. IRVINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

